Is USB 3 compatible with USB 2 peripherals?

Can USB 2 peripherals (hard drives, USB microphones, et al) be used with a MacBook Air that only has USB 3 jacks?

You are correct. However, if you daisy-chain a USB 2 device to a USB 3 device you may well find that both devices operate at the speed of the slower device. I don't know that they can run independently off the same port.
I've used a USB mic in the past, though not on a MBA.

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